Biomedical subjects

G Vetrovec

Publications and source records attributed to G Vetrovec.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

Serial coronary angioplasty for atherosclerosis following heart transplantation.

A 51-year-old man underwent orthotopic heart transplantation for end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy. Forty-six months after the operation significant coronary artery disease was demonstrated in the allografted heart, with severe (90% to 95%) proximal stenosis of the left anterior descending artery as well as diffuse distal and smaller branch lesions. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of the proximal left anterior descending artery lesion was successfully performed, reducing the stenosis to a 20% to 30% narrowing. Sixteen months later, repeated angiography showed sustained improvement of the proximal left anterior descending artery lesion and development of new significant lesions in the mid-left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries. Coronary angioplasty of the mid-left anterior descending and proximal circumflex artery lesions was successfully performed and an angiogram four months later showed continued angiographic improvement at each of the distal sites. This case represents the first reported coronary artery angioplasty in a heart transplant recipient. It demonstrates the successful application of a non-operative myocardial revascularization procedure using percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to achieve sustained palliation of significant coronary artery disease following heart transplantation.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

PubMed1985

The role of vasodilators in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis. Interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.

The use of systemic vasodilator drugs in reducing pulmonary artery pressures in patients with pulmonary hypertension is controversial. The effect of hydralazine in four patients with pulmonary hypertension resulting from interstitial lung disease (group 1) and nifedipine in four patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to progressive systemic sclerosis (group 2) was investigated. Hydralazine blunted exercise induced elevations in pulmonary arterial pressures in individual group 1 patients; nifedipine failed to effect significant salutory hemodynamic changes in any group 2 patients.

Humans↗

PubMed1984

Intracoronary thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction: clinical course following successful myocardial reperfusion.

We reviewed the clinical course of 73 patients who had attempted intracoronary thrombolysis, with emphasis on follow-up. Fifty-nine patients (81%) had coronary reflow sufficient to control pain and injury current: 52 received thrombolysis alone and seven had thrombolysis combined with acute coronary angioplasty. Recurrent ischemic events in hospital were frequent and occurred in 17 patients (29%). These included silent reocclusion (four patients), recurrent angina (eight patients), and recurrent infarction in the same myocardial zone (five patients). Late ischemic events occurred in 11 patients (19%) and included silent reocclusion (two patients) and angina (nine patients). Although acute coronary angioplasty resulted in a high rate of successful myocardial reperfusion, long-term vessel patency was infrequent. The results of coronary bypass surgery, performed in hospital for severe residual coronary stenosis and angina and later for recurrent angina, were uniformly good. At follow-up of 6 to 36 months (mean 18.5 +/- 8.1), total mortality was five patients (8%). Only 16 reperfused patients (27%) were alive and well without recurrent ischemia or interventions. We conclude that reopening an acutely occluded coronary artery by thrombolysis and/or angioplasty can be performed in the majority of patients but must be regarded as initial therapy in view of the high incidence of recurrent ischemic events. Reperfused patients with stable myocardial blood supply post infarction have low long-term mortality.

Adult↗